Chef notes
I have enjoyed cooking, stewing, baking and freezing rhubarb ever since I was a child in Nutley, New Jersey, pulling stalks from giant plants in my father's garden. Mom stewed rhubarb with a modicum of sugar, and we ate it for dessert, making faces at the sourness of this venerated vegetable masquerading as a fruit.
The best rhubarb is pale, tender and naturally sweet, grown under clay cloches or baskets in faraway places like France or Belgium. Locally, choose the reddest or pinkest rhubarb with crisp, slender stalks. Cut it into 1-inch pieces, macerating it with sugar before using, if possible.
A rectangular tart like this with a geometric lattice crust permits you to cut very neat square portions. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream for perfection.
